Five more bodies found near Costa Concordia wreckage

Five more bodies have been found near to the spot where the Costa Concordia ran aground two months ago, bringing the total number of bodies that have been found to 30, with two still missing.

The Costa Concordia had been carrying 4,200 passengers and crew when it crashed into rocks off the island of Giglio on January 13.

The discovery was made as the cruise line released an update on the clean up operation.

Operations to remove the 17 tanks of fuel from the Costa Concordia, which began on 12 February and have been performed using pumps and valves, are due to be completed by this evening. Once the oil has been successfully pumped out of the tanks, attention will focus on the caretaking operations.

Meanwhile the six working plans to remove the ship that were submitted on March 3rd, are currently being evaluated. A shortlist is being drawn up and the best plan will be selected and announced in early to mid-April.

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The operation to remove the wreck has been described by the company as being “particularly complex” and is expected to take from 10 to 12 months, depending on which tender is chosen.